Lolas
-- Something You Oughta Know (Jam): The first time I popped this on, I
thought to myself, ‘wow, Tim Boykin has gone all political on us!' Then
I realized that what I thought was "we're going down to the poorhouse"
was actually the song "We're Going Down to the Boathouse". No wonder he
sounded so cheerful. Of course, cheerful is pretty much Boykin's
default mode. On the third Lolas disc, he makes most power pop bands
sound like Bauhaus in comparison, as his music is so swathed in a
sunshiney vibe. As always, the Lolas music sounds like they heard The
Descendents cover of "Wendy" and thought that if they could make tunes
that managed to be a bit more in the vein of The Beach Boys and a bit
more power pop than punk pop, they'd be onto something. On this disc,
there aren't as many loud guitars, and there's a wee bit more attention
paid to harmonies and arrangements (not that they've skimped before,
mind you). The end result is adult bubblegum music, as evidenced by
numbers like "Dana the Chromium Girl" and "Plenty of Dogs" (as in, I've
got plenty of dogs, meaning he doesn't need to buy him a dog because he
needs a friend). Or "Little Deedra", which has is a modern glam rock
stomp (a la Slade or Gary Glitter), with a muscular guitar solo and a
twee and fun chorus. This is catchy times three. On "Master Cat", the
Lolas reach a rarified area of brilliance, melding Standells organ
fueled garage rock verses with a Burt Bacharach worthy bridge, pulling
them together (with the garage rock dominating) in the chorus. This is
novel without being a novelty. One thing I like a lot is the utter lack
of self-consciousness here. The sweet as a Krispy Kreme "Light Up Every
Doorway" is sung and played with utter commitment. Though it's feather
light, the melodies still have an emotional pull, making this delicious
and nutritious. The Lolas are now three-for-three, with another strong
album. jamrecordings.com